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A young child lifts a sofa cushion to find a hidden toy, then carries it back to a basket in a living room.
Fine motorOT-adjacent supportChange Body LevelIndoor

Heavy-Work Scavenger Hunt.

Turn a scavenger hunt into a full-body challenge. Your child lifts cushions or crawls under low furniture to find hidden toys, then carries each one back to a basket while practicing controlled body-level changes through lifting, crawling, and carrying.

Play time
5-10+ min
Age
2-5 years
Energy
Medium
Mess
Low
Effort
Medium
Where
Indoor
Start here

The recipe.

Medium parent effort
4 things

What you need

  • 3 easy-to-grab household items or toys
  • 3 safe hiding spots such as sofa cushions, pillows, or a low table
  • 1 basket, bin, or clear floor return spot
  • 1 open floor area
5 min minimum

Setup

Then start the loop
Step 01
Place a basket at the starting spot.
Step 02
Hide three easy-to-grab toys around the room beneath lightweight cushions or pillows and under a stable low table.
"Go find."
The loop

How play unfolds.

A multi-panel sequence showing a child searching one room, crawling under or lifting a safe obstacle to find an item, and carrying it back to a basket.
  1. 01
    Have your child search for one hidden toy, lifting a cushion or pillow or crawling under the table to reach it.
  2. 02
    Have them carry the toy back and place it in the basket.
  3. 03
    Repeat until all three toys are found.

Safety Check

  • Use only stable furniture and lightweight objects your child can move safely.
  • Stay close if your child is crawling under tables or lifting cushions near hard edges.
  • Stop if the hunt turns into climbing unstable furniture, rough pulling, or fast uncontrolled running.
Skill spotlight
Change Body Level

Changing body level to get under or around a hiding spot with control

This helps a child move up and down with more control, manage body position around household obstacles, and finish a short physical job from search to return.

  • •The hunt gives your child a clear movement loop: search, get low, grab, carry back, repeat.
  • •Crawling under or lifting something safe adds the heavy-work part without changing the simple game.
  • •One basket and a small set of hiding spots make the job easy to follow with very little language.
  • •Each return gives your child a clean finish before the next round starts.
Real-world transfer
  • Moving under, around, and back out from everyday play spaces with more control.
  • Handling simple household jobs that involve lifting light objects and bringing something back.
Supporting the play

What to say in the moment

Match what you say to what you see.

Prompt ladder
Level 1 (Start)
"Find one."
Level 2 (Keep going)
"Bring it back."
Level 3 (Stretch)
"Now check the next spot."
Level 4 (Extend)
"Can you finish the whole hunt?"
If your child seems...
What you'd see
Focused
What to do
Say
"You got it."
Add
Pause at the basket so your child drops the item in before the next search.
Extend
Wait one beat before pointing so your child scans for the next spot.

Make it easier

Younger end
  • -Keep all hiding spots in the same half of the room.
  • -Let part of each hidden item stay visible.
  • -Put the basket very close to the start spot.

Make it harder

Older end
  • +Wait before pointing to the next hiding spot.
  • +Spread the 3 hiding spots a little farther apart in the same room.
  • +Ask your child to bring back all 3 items before stopping.

If it's not working

If you see
If child ignores it
Walk together to the easiest hiding spot and let your child pull out 1 partly visible item.
If you see
If child misuses it
Slow the pace, return to 1 safe hiding spot, and say, "Lift, find, bring back."
If you see
If child gets frustrated
Use only 2 hiding spots and make the next item partly visible.
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Keep playing

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